Bill Kopp Signed for Universal's "Woody Woodpecker"

Clearly the stellar box office grosses for Despicable Me 2 are having an effect on Universal's animation plans. Veteran animator Bill Kopp (Eek! The Cat, Schnookums and Meat, Dan Vs., etc) has just announced on his Facebook page that he has been tapped to revive Woody Woodpecker for Universal Pictures.

Clearly the stellar
box office grosses for Despicable Me 2 are having an effect on
Universal's future animation plans. Veteran animator Bill Kopp (Eek! The Cat,
Schnookums and Meat, Dan Vs., etc) has just announced on his Facebook page
that he has been tapped to revive Woody Woodpecker for Universal
Pictures.

"It's official
folks. Universal Pictures has hired me to put the Woody back in the Woodpecker!
Hooray!! There will be 3 stories woven together into a feature length
cartoon - plus a 6-7 minute short that we will put into theaters
hopefully."

Walter Lantz originally produced Woody Woodpecker in theatrical shorts for Universal (and one season
for United Artists) between 1940 and 1972. The character made a cameo in Who
Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) and starred in Fox Kid's The New Woody
Woodpecker Show in 1999. The character has long been a mascot at the Universal theme parks.

A new Woody Woodpecker feature was first announced two years ago by Illumination
Entertainment, then developing the film with co-writers John
Altschuler and Dave Krinsky - who were planning to "modernize the character for
contemporary audiences". Kopp has vowed on Facebook to return Woody to
his original and proper insanity.